“HONESTLY, RED RIDING HOOD WAS ROTTEN! The Story of Little Red Riding Hood as Told by the Wolf (The Other Side of the Story),” by Trisha Speed Shaskan and Gerald Guerlais, Picture Window Books, $6.95 (ages 4-8)
Fairy tales are so one-sided, at least that’s what the Big Bad Wolf from “Little Red Riding Hood” says. He’d like you to consider the other side — his side — of the story before jumping to any conclusions.
His “memoir,” “Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten! The Story of Little Red Riding Hood as Told by the Wolf (The Other Side of the Story)” does just that.
You see, once upon a time, Wolf’s cupboards were bare. The freezer was empty and Wolf had eaten every last vegetable and fruit in the garden. He hadn’t eaten in weeks when his nose caught the scent of a little girl.
When he came upon the girl, who looked as plump and ripe as a red apple, he couldn’t help but think how tasty she might be — remember he hadn’t eaten for a very long time.
Little Red is a talkative young lady and fills Wolf in on her plans to take her basket full of cake and butter to Granny’s house, even pointing out where Granny lives.
Wolf suggests they race to Granny’s and Little Red quickly agrees. Wolf makes it first and meets Granny, who’s as pretty as a Granny Smith apple. Wolf has to eat her. His stomach is roaring. Really, he had no other choice. And when Little Red arrives, he has no choice but to eat her, too. After all, things look different when you’re really hungry.
“Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten!” is a fun take on a classic, and at $6.95 it’s a bargain. The illustrations are bright and full of energy, and the tongue-in-cheek text is humorous. It may not be the best version of this particular tale — it feels a little low-budget — but it’s entertaining nonetheless.
